In 1993, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation purchased 63.6% of STAR for over $500 million, followed by the purchase of the remaining 36.4% in 1 January 1993.[6][7] Murdoch declared that:[8]

"(telecommunications) have proved an unambiguous threat to totalitarian regimes everywhere ... satellite broadcasting makes it possible for information-hungry residents of many closed societies to bypass state-controlled television channels"

After this, the former prime minister Li Peng requested and obtained the ban of satellite dishes throughout the country. Subsequently the STAR TV network dropped the BBC channels from its satellite offer. This, and many ensuing declaration from Murdoch, led critics to believe the businessman was striving to appease the Chinese government in order to have the ban lifted.[8]

In February 2001, The company rebranded from "STAR TV" to "STAR", reflecting the company's evolution from a television brand to a multi-service, multi-platform brand.

Impact

Reaching more than 300 million viewers in 53 countries across Asia, STAR Broadcasting Corporation is watched by approximately 120 million viewers every day.

STAR Broadcasting Corporation controls over 20,000 hours of Indian and Chinese programming. It also owns Fortune STAR, the world's largest contemporary Chinese film library, with more than 600 titles, featuring superstars including Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat and Bruce Lee. In partnership with leading companies in Asia, STAR Broadcasting Corporation businesses extend to filmed entertainment, television production, cable systems and distribution, direct-to-home services, terrestrial TV broadcasting, wireless and digital services.

In 1994, STAR TV Network removed BBC World Service Television (now BBC World News) from the network following demands from the government of the People's Republic of China. It is alleged that the PRC government was unhappy with BBC coverage and threatened to block Star TV in the huge mainland Chinese market if the BBC was not withdrawn. This is despite technology that is capable of blocking BBC World in China, while making it available in other countries they serve.[9][10][11]

In 2014, 21st Century Fox has sold its minority stake in the broadcaster Star China TV to China Media Capital after finally giving up on the emerging Chinese television market. [12]

List of Channels provided

STAR Chinese Channel – a 24-hour Mandarin general entertainment channel for audiences in Taiwan and beyond. It is one of the five original STAR TV channels when it launched on 21 October 1991.

STAR Chinese Movies – a 24-hour Cantonese and Mandarin movie channel. one of the five original STAR TV channels when it launched on 1 May 1994 as "STAR Mandarin Movies" and re-launched on 31 March 1996 as "STAR Chinese Movies".

STAR Chinese Movies 2 – a 24-hour Cantonese and Mandarin movie channel that shows popular Chinese box-office hits from the 1970 until 1993. Currently available in Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada and United States.

STAR World – a 24-hour English entertainment channel with to Southeast Asia and one of the five original STAR TV channels when it launched on 15 December 1991 as "STAR Plus" and re-launched on 31 March 1996 as "STAR World".

Phoenix Chinese Channel – 24-hour Mandarin international news and entertainment channel it was launched on 31 March 1996.

STAR Sports – a 24-hour sports channel which is the evolution of Prime Sports devoted to different sporting events, such as cricket, auto racing, golf, and many more. Also broadcast by ESPN STAR Sports and one of the five original STAR TV channels when it launched on 21 August 1991 as "Prime Sports" and re-launched on 21 August 1993 as "STAR Sports". Formerly known as Prime Sports.

Antv – a Indonesian national private commercial free-to-air terrestrial television channel in Indonesia.

Fox Crime – is the first and only 24-hour factual and fictional entertainment television channel dedicated to crime, investigation and mystery. Available in Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Middle East and South Korea.

Former Channels

BBC World Service Television (now BBC World News) a 24-hour English news channel and one of the original STAR TV channels when it launched on 15 November 1991 a joint venture between BBC World News and STAR TV a subsidiaries of BBC International Television a member of BBC Television and owner by BBC; but it ended its affiliation on 30 April 1994 to broadcast separate ways & it was replaced by STAR TV American Movies Channel (now STAR Movies) and STAR Mandarin Movies Channel (now STAR Chinese Movies) on 1 May 1994.

STAR News (now ABP News) – a 24-hour English and Mandarin news channel and one of the original STAR TV channels when it launched on 15 November 1991. STAR News ended its relationship with STAR TV on 31 March 1996.

MTV Asia – a 24-hour music video channel and one of the original STAR TV channels when it launched on 15 September 1991 a joint venture between MTV Networks Asia Pacific owner by Viacom and STAR TV; but it ended its affiliation on 30 April 1994 to broadcast separate ways and was replaced by Channel V.

Prime Sports – a 24-hour English and Mandarin sports channel and one of the original STAR TV channels when it launched on 21 August 1991 a joint venture between Prime Network and STAR TV; but it ended its affiliation on 20 August 1993 to broadcast separate ways & it was replaced by STAR Sports on 21 August 1993.

ITV Granada – A 24-hour British entertainment from ITV plc now only available on Star Select in the Middle East, dropped from the line-up in the rest of Asia in 2002. Formerly known as Granada UKTV and Granada TV.

See also

Footnotes

^Prime Sports was removed on Prime Network (handover form STAR TV Sports" is a 24-hour daily sport satellite television channel a subsidiary of STAR TV and member of News Corporation on 21 August 1993 at 00:00 HKT.

^MTV was removed on STAR TV Music" (also known as "Channel [V]") is a 24-hour daily music satellite television channel a subsidiary of STAR TV and member of News Corporation on 1 May 1994 at 00:00 HKT.

^STAR TV Chinese was reorganized to split into 2 stations new rebroadcast both Chinese satellite channels on 31 March 1996 at 00:00 HKT such:

"Phoenix Mandarin Satellite Television Channel" (Chinese: 鳳凰衛視中文台) is a 24-hour daily Chinese news & entertainment international satellite television channel will be available in the Hong Kong was live broadcast to 50 countries in the Asia-Pacific region a subsidiary of Phoenix Satellite Television (Chinese: 鳳凰衛星電視股份有限公司) and member of Phoenix Satellite Television Network (Chinese: 鳳凰衛星電視網絡有限公司) with slogan and motto station works on an appointment-based programming concept reflecting its philosophy of being "開拓新視野, 創造新文化".

"STAR Chinese Channel" (Chinese: 衛視中文台) is a 24-hour daily of Chinese entertainment satellite television channel brand will be continued in the Republic of China (Taiwan) a subsidiary of STAR TV, member of News Corporation and owner by Hutchison Whampoa.

^BBC World Service Television was removed on BBC Television (handover form BBC) reprivatised from the United Kingdom and reorganized to split into 2 stations: it screened both English and Chinese movie with split into one station of led "STAR Movies (Chinese: 衛星電視電影台)" with both movie satellite channels a subsidiary of STAR TV and member of News Corporation on 1 May 1994 at 00:00 HKT such:

"STAR Chinese Movies" (Chinese: 衛星電視華語電影台) – is 24-hours daily Asian (Chinese) movie channel based in the Republic of China (Taiwan) they were still copyrighted form British Hong Kong with studio by STAR TV Filmed Entertainment Company Limited (衛星電視娛樂電影 (香港) 有限公司), produced by Fortune STAR Entertainment Company Limited (星空傳媒娛樂製作 (香港) 有限公司) and motion pictures studios by Media Asia Distribution Company Limited (寰亞綜藝娛樂集團 (香港) 有限公司) based in Kowloon Peninsula on 1993.

^STAR Plus was removed on Zee TV (handover form Zee Network) reprivatised from India and reorganized to split into 2 stations new rebroadcast both English and Hindi variety and entertainment with both satellite channels a subsidiary of STAR TV and member of News Corporation on 31 March 1996 at 00:00 HKT such:

"STAR Plus" is a 24-hour daily of new-Hindi entertainment satellite television channel brand will be continued in India.

"STAR World" is a 24-hour daily of new-English entertainment satellite television channel will be available in the Hong Kong.

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